Chico Buarque
A
Brazillian singer/songwriter,
Chico Buarque (born on
June 19th,
1944) has become famous for his
music, which comments on Brazil's social, economic and cultural situation.
During Brazil's military coup of 1964, Chico wrote about the situation and avoided censure by using cryptic analogies and word play. For example, using the Portuguese words for "shut up" (cali-se) and "chalice" (cálice) allowed Chico to sing about the military's oppression under the guise of a bible story in the song "Cálice."
- Lyric in Portuguese
- Pai, afasta de mim esse cálice
- De vinho tinto de sangue.
- Como beber dessa bebida amarga
- Tragar a dor, engolir a labuta.
- Mesmo calada a boca, resta o peito
- Silêncio na cidade não se escuta.
- De que me vale ser filho da santa
- Melhor seria ser filho da outra
- Outra realidade menos morta
- Tanta mentira, tanta força bruta.
- Translation
- Father, take away this chalice
- of wine tinted red with blood. Literally: Of wine tinted of blood.
- How can I drink from this sour drink
- Take in the pain, swallow the drudgery.
- Even if the mouth is shut, the heart still remains
- Silence isn't heard in the city.
- What good is it to be son of the saint (female)
- It would be better to be son of another
- Another reality less dead
- So many lies, so much brute force.
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